Allouez Township to hold second land use meeting MOHAWK ’Äì Allouez Township’Äôs newly formed Land Use Study Committee will hold its second meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the Allouez Township Hall. The group held an organizational meeting on Jan. 9 to get acquainted. "Right now we’Äôre at the stage of figuring what we’Äôre going to do," said Township Supervisor Bill Luokkanen. "There’Äôs going to be a lot happening here in Allouez Township." Allouez Township Board members discussed land use planning at their recent January meeting in the Mohawk Town Hall. Seated, clockwise from left, are Carol Isaacson, treasurer; Cheryl King, clerk; Bill Luokkanen, supervisor; Joyce Pavolich, trustee; and Laverne Kytta, trustee. Luokkanen said the township should be up-to-date on these happenings. He reminded Township Board members at their recent meeting that the Louisiana Pacific Sawmill site, which is being considered for future development, and the Mouth of the Gratiot River, which is now destined for future preservation, are both within the boundaries of Allouez Township. Allouez also has the largest population of the five townships in Keweenaw County. "There are a lot of future concerns we’Äôre going to have to address," he said. "We should be concerned and understand what’Äôs happening in our township and if there are problems be involved." Pauline Johnson of Ahmeek Location volunteered to join the Allouez Township Land Use Study Committee in a conversation with Allouez Township Supervisor Bill Luokkanen at the December meeting of the Keweenaw County Zoning/Planning Commission in the courthouse in Eagle River. So far Allouez Township’Äôs Land Use Study Committee includes eight members besides Luokkanen: Al Gunnari, Chris Cronenworth, James Heikkila, Jon Soper, Pauline Johnson, Mark Vichich, Genie Mintken and John Griffith. Griffith, who is president of the North Woods Conservancy, which includes Allouez Township landowners, introduced himself as a new voting resident of the township and expressed his interest in the land use planning process. The Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners recently accepted an offer from his conservancy and the Copper Country Chapter of Trout Unlimited to raise the matching funds for a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant that will enable the county to purchase land and shoreline for public access at the mouth of the Gratiot River. Luokkanen told the board the townships are not re-zoning, but the township land use committees are collecting information for the county’Äôs updating of its Comprehensive Development Plan. He said Allouez Township would be following the outline given to them by Patrick Coleman, president of UP Engineers & Architects, through the Keweenaw County Zoning/Planning Commission. Coleman has outlined six steps for preparing an updated land use plan for the county: Data collection and analysis (in each township) to determine current trends and conditions. This should include documenting such information as land use (maps, surveys, aerial photos, etc.); population; building activity for the past five years; tax base; land ownership (review of old plat books); transportation (showing existing highways, road and streets and identifying recent additions and changes); public and private utilities (identifying capacity and expansion capability of water, sewer, power, etc.). Identifying and prioritizing land use issues and opportunities and involving the community in the process. Setting goals and objectives for all categories of land use ’Äì residential, commercial, commercial forest, public/recreation, industrial, etc. This should be based on community participation. Preparing a draft land use plan. Holding a public hearing when the draft plan is completed. Putting the plan in final form for approval. Coleman’Äôs outline estimates about two months for each of the steps, claiming the project can be completed in one year if this timeline is followed. Said Luokkanen, "(Land use planning) is a brand new thing across the county. It’Äôs going to take a few months to get off the ground and get rolling." In other business the township board: Approved Allouez Township Ordinance # 17: An Ordinance Limiting Powers of Constables, in order to protect the township from liability, since the newly elected township constable, Victor Tanskanen, is not a trained police officer. Public Act 246 of 1976, authorizes township boards to adopt ordinances for "the public health, safety and general welfare." This ordinance is effective January 14, 2001. See Keweenaw Today’Äôs Legal Notices for the wording of the ordinance. Learned from Assistant Fire Chief Chris Cronenworth the township has applied for a $2,000 matching grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for new fire department equipment, including: lightweight, flame-retardant protective coveralls and lightweight helmets; collapsible water packs for carrying water to wild land fires where hoses cannot be transported; and a foam unit. If the grant is approved, the township will need to consider ways to raise the $2,000 match, Luokkanen said. "This is one way to get $4,000 worth of equipment for half the price," he noted. Recommended raising the salaries of the Township Clerk and the Township Treasurer to $12,000 to equal the Township Supervisor’Äôs salary. Presently the Clerk receives $10,000 a year and the Treasurer $9,000. Clerk Cheryl King said she did research on other townships in Michigan the size of Allouez Township and found salaries to be equal for officials. Luokkanen noted Allouez Township officials are paid a salary rather than an amount per meeting. - Michele Anderson January 15, 2001